ENR 2026 Top 20 Under 40
Pramodh Reddy: Design-Build Leader Impacts California's Public-Sector Projects

Pramodh Reddy
37, Senior Project Manager
PCL Construction
Irvine, Calif.
Reddy is a civil engineer and design build leader who has earned a reputation delivering complex public and private infrastructure projects across the U.S. and overseas. Reddy began his career on secure systems upgrades at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and infrastructure modernization projects for the MTA in New York City.
As project manager and design build leader with PCL Construction, Reddy has led two award-winning civic campuses: the $85 million Orange County Health Care Agency Marine Way Campus and the $62 million Southeastern Live Well Center. Every California project Reddy has led achieved zero recordable incidents, and every project engineer under his leadership earned a promotion.
What is one challenge that you’ve overcome in your career?
The biggest would be the transition from operating as one individual, as a project engineer, let's say as a position, to transitioning into a project manager or leading several multiple people. Years ago my perspective was of a driven, motivated individual who wants to give my 110% and get it done today mentality. I went from doing the task to managing or leading folks doing the task. It was a challenge to go to a mentality of empowering people to kind of do the same, operate in the same manner I would. It was challenging and also fun at the same time.
What has been your favorite or most interesting project you’ve worked on and why?
If I had to kind of pick one favorite, it would be the County of San Diego Southeastern Live Well Center. The community aspect of it was very rewarding. I was involved right from pre con looking at different subcontractors and even at that stage, we had to be really cognizant about who could be part of the subcontractor community and how we can make the community part of the building experience. We were really cognizant of breaking out some of the bid packages into smaller packages, so that we were able to kind of cater for the smaller subcontractors.
What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?
Long time ago, a good friend, who's still with PCL, told me to be ready before going into any difficult conversations, or any conversations, or any big meetings or meeting a brand new person; look yourself in the mirror and see how you show up. Self reflection. How do you appear? Are your facial expressions correct. Am I communicating what I want to really say? I think it dictates part of the outcomes of what I want to see in that any meeting.
What’s your career advice for other young professionals in the industry?
Stay curious. Ask questions. Ask ton of questions, and always raise your hand. Never take no for an answer. When somebody says “No,” ask “Why not,? Keep asking tons of questions, because you never know where the opportunity will come through. If you're hungry for it will come to you.
What’s the best part of your job?
I would say definitely, it's the art of building a magnificent like infrastructure and buildings for generations to come, they're able to use it. It gives me such a warm feeling I think about how many lives I've changed by building all this infrastructure for generations to come. And in the process, I get to work with amazing talent, individuals from different backgrounds and on different perspectives working together. And I've thoroughly enjoyed kind of growing teams and mentoring them.
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